Jingle Bulbs

Hey there and Welcome To Jingle Bulbs!

My name's Susan Miller, and I work from home, hand-painting Christmas ornaments
and illustrating children's books.

I started painting Christmas ornaments over 25 years ago... When I was looking for
a way to remember the year I'd spent with my family.

(every year, I make each of my two kids pick out an ornament to put on our tree,
to continue this tradition... Even though they're both all-grown-up)

I walked into a store in West Hartford, Connecticut -- tracking snow behind me --
And while I was browsing, I fell in love with this folksy "bulb" from Ecuador.

(it's called a bulb because it's round, like a flower bulb)

In fact, I still have it on the second shelve, second in from the right, hanging above
my computer so I can look at it  each and every day.

Inspired by that Christmas bulb, I started hand-painting my own and giving them to
my co-workers around the holiday season.

And they absolutely fell in love with them!

I called them Jingle Bulbs, because of the jingly "bell" on the top of each one.

(my husband wanted to call them "Santa's"... well, you know what... And I wasn't
about to let THAT fly)

Underneath each and every one of those bells, I hand-design, draw and paint
every single Jingle Bulb.

In fact, I can only do about 3 Jingle Bulbs maximum per day... And I seldom
limit myself to working 8-hours "by the clock."

I have great pride and pay meticulous attention to detail crafting each one of these keepsakes,
and my passion for the decorative arts and my love for painted surfaces heavily influences
each Jingle Bulb that goes out.

(you can even have them personalized, if you wish)

Well, 25 years ago, my co-workers were steadily introducing their friends
to me, and because of these new clients I was painting upwards of 20 to 30
new bulbs a winter...

... So I figured I might as well turn it into a business.

Today, I help people up and down the East Coast commemorate the holidays and
celebrate everything from their First House, their baby's First Christmas... and even
the passing of a loved one... Each and every holiday season.

In fact, a long-time Jingle Bulb collector -- who's been getting Jingle Bulbs
for years -- told me this story, just last month:

Each and every year, since her kids were born, she's been collecting a Jingle Bulb for
her tree.

Last year I began my lengthy move to Florida, so I only was able to paint 17, in total.

Unfortunately, she let me know a bit too late, and I couldn't paint her a Jingle Bulb in time
for Christmas.

So, she went out to the craftstore and got some other ornaments for her tree.

This year, she let me know that her kids could tell the difference... and demanded she
picked them up two Jingle Bulbs, no exceptions.

Thankfully, she let me know early this year... A whole month earlier than usual.

Most of my Bulbs are still given as gifts, but I make a small selection of them available to
you, online.